Mean Greens

February 2, 1986

Editor: I was very pleased to read in the Jan. 5 Florida magazine that Florida cuisine is evolving into nouvelle cuisine (''Beyond Key lime pie,'' by Lynn Marvin). I'm sure chefs are putting their best creative zest to work to offer us glorious food. They will delight eyes with exquisite artistry and make taste buds perk up. Delicious food that is beautifully served is a perfect marriage.

But I hope that the chef's daily whim will not supersede common sense. Eating, I think, should be a pleasure, not a hazardous enterprise.

Could anybody tell me how to tackle the vegetable arrangement pictured on the cover of your magazine?